Alpine’s French duo excited ahead of season opener

BWT Alpine F1 Team drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly say they are “excited” for the first race of the 2023 FIA Formula 1 season.

Gasly, 27, is set to make his debut for the team following his switch from AlphaTauri in the winter, while Ocon gears up for his fourth year with the Enstone team.

Ocon said: “I feel fresh and ready to start the 2023 season on a positive note,” with Gasly adding, “I’m already eager for my first qualifying laps before we battle in the race on Sunday.”

Race winner Gasly has replaced Spaniard Fernando Alonso, who helped the team to finish fourth in the 2022 Constructors Championship.

Alpine failed to set any headline lap times in testing, but Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer said the team has a “solid blueprint” for the year ahead.

“We have a clear game plan and we will focus on ourselves to make sure we reach our objectives,” the American explained.

Alpine have stated that they want to reduce the gap from fourth to third in the standings this season.

Reliability woes and teammate clashes cost the team points, and while the team hope to have fixed the power-unit issues from 2022, Gasly and Ocon’s past as junior rivals may cause problems on the track.